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Recently I shared the first half of my thoughts on my trip to northern California poker rooms. In the below article, I share the rest of my experiences on this trip.
I started off the second half of my poker-playing sojourn through northern California by visiting Stars Casino in Tracy, California. It’s a lovely small room with three tables of poker, a few California games, and a restaurant. Stars also offers a daily $80 tournament at noon. There were nine players seated when I arrived at 12:30pm. Someone busted out just as I was arriving, so I got seated without having to force them to break into two tables. I made the final table my first hand! As it turned out, I managed to win the tournament a couple of hours later. Fun!
I proceeded on my trip by visiting the Parkwest Manteca room. Manteca is a small city in the Central Valley of California, with great Mexican restaurants and panderias (Mexican bakeries). The poker room was very busy on a Wednesday night; but the crowds were mainly around the California Game tables, with poker only spread on three tables. I was told that if I wanted high limit poker action I should return on Thursday, when they spread a $5/$10/$20 no limit game.
As it turned out I played for exactly two hours – and was completely card dead. I literally did not win one hand – but had such awful cards that I lost less than $200 for my session! Even so, I enjoyed conversing with the oldest player in the game – an 80+ year old gentleman who had made a living at poker back in the 1960s and 1970s as a dealer, floor man, and proposition player in some of Northern California’s more storied rooms.
He told me some great stories of working at the Santa Fe Club in Emeryville. It’s long gone, but used to be across the street from The Oaks. He remembered his first game. It was draw, with a $.20 ante, a starting stack of $5, and a time charge by the house of $.25 a half hour. The good old days! The game was even self-dealt. The gentleman regaled me with stories of catching and kicking out card mechanics and other cheaters – that used to occasionally frequent his games. It was worth my loss just to hear his stories!
Next I visited Turlock, which offered $2 chips. Players typically bought in for two stacks of 20 – for $80. Turlock is a good place for casual play. It has the lowest rake in the area: $4 plus $1 for promotions. I had to wait about an hour for a table, but enjoyed the excellent pizza next door while I waited. The game was worth the wait. No max buy-in for $2/$3 with crazy drunk shoving players. I had a player on my right who would shove blind. He’d expose a card if asked to do so. I was lucky to get some of his stack.
I drove north from there to a place known both as Kings Card Club and as Westlane Card Club. Apparently, the place had to get two licenses for separate casinos because, under local ordinance, one license was not sufficient for the large number of tables this room wanted to have. So both names it is – used interchangeably on the chips, door, and signage. This is the last room left in Stockton.
They’re trying hard to attract business, as I enjoyed another $30 bonus for helping start a game. Once again, the rules were that I could keep my $30 bonus if I played for a minimum of two hours – or if I lost my entire starting stack. Here, I chose the more expensive option, busting out and leaving after only 90 minutes. This was truly a locals’ room. I was the only outsider among the three tables that were going by the time I left. The play was especially soft here – especially mine!
I drove up to the rustic and busy Napa Valley poker room. There were two busy tables of $2/$3 (with a $5 bet if you wanted to come in) when I arrived at noon. They had another table that was not in use while I was there; and there were about a dozen California gaming tables with lots of players. There’s a $6 rake, which is standard in the area. And with that rake is a house-funded bad beat promotion. The room offered all sorts of bonuses to encourage new players. There was a $30 new player bonus – for which I qualified, a $30 bonus to start the game (I came too late for that one), and a $30 referral bonus if you brought a new player.
This was again a local’s room. All but one of my opponents was a regular. They played predictably, I found. The atmosphere was friendly with lots of players sharing stories of how they did the night before and bad beats they’d suffered. Non-alcoholic beverages are free. The dealer had a croupier stick to help bring in pots (and discipline grabby players I suppose). I was fortunate to have an especially sunny and informative floor person sitting in my left. She helped explain the local structure of the games, and made recommendations about the local food.
There was a tiny snack bar inside, chiefly for drinks, and a great Asian food truck outside in the parking lot – for which all seated players got a $2 discount. I had one of the best Laotian noodle soups I’ve ever had (Well, it was the only Laotian noodle soup I’ve had – and it was terrific and cheap).
I kept driving north through the beautiful Napa Valley. There were grape arbors everywhere (though there were not yet any grapes – just some blossoms). This is where well-heeled wine aficionados come for wine tasting in-season. I eventually came to the very modern and slick looking Ace & Vine Casino. It looked much more like a very trendy restaurant than a poker room. That makes sense, as it is the home to The Lincoln, a beautifully appointed “gastropub”.
The poker room itself is also a terrific place to play. It is well staffed – not just with dealers and floor people, but with prop players and “hosts” who are employed to keep the game full and the players happy. That they surely did, welcoming me, showing me exactly where to buy in, how to get comps and promos, and encouraging me to come back in a day or two when the live games went off. There were two games going when I was there, with talk of starting a third. I really got the feeling that my business was important to them. And I’d surely come back if I were ever in the area again.
Stones Poker was the last place that I played on this trip. Stones formed when long-time popular Sacramento-area rooms, Lucky Derby and Phoenix, merged in 2014. That’s when this beautifully appointed, spacious, and high-ceilinged room was created. Unlike every other poker room in the world, Stones has an extensive poker library, housed in a beautiful glassed-in book case at the end of the poker room. Stones offers both great place to play poker, and a great place to eat. One of the regulars bought me a delicious plate of short ribs while I visited. The menu is 50% off for poker players. I would come here just for the food.
There are some tough players at Stones, to be sure. They offer $4/$8 Omaha 8 with a ½ kill, $1 an hour in comps, and $1/$2 and $1/$3 no limit with a $6 rake. Stones also offers free breakfast if you are here before 9am, and double comps during the graveyard shift. It’s a 24/7 room, and has the nicest design and space I’ve seen in the area. They do not currently offer tournaments. There is talk about expanding into a bigger room and hotel, but at the moment it is still just talk.
Overall a great poker trip. I enjoyed myself a whole lot, playing in all the different poker rooms in Northern California. And Stones, with the delicious short ribs, left a really good taste in my mouth. I’m eager to return to the Golden State!
California has the 5th largest economy in the world. It has more people and more poker rooms than any other state. I’ve already written about a trip I took to Southern California. The current article offers a look at the Northern California poker scene, as I recently got back from a five day visit there.
The Bay Area, as the Greater San Francisco Metropolitan Area is generally known, has much to recommend it as a tourist destination. There are beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, a mighty redwood forest, the Golden Gate Bridge, magnificent architecture, and great universities. The area is also known for Silicon Valley – the high tech capital of the world, its professional sports teams, the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, and of course Fisherman’s Wharf.
The Bay Area is home to 23 poker rooms within a 90-minute drive of downtown San Francisco. They include: Ace & Vine, Artichoke Joe’s, Bay 101, California Grand, Capitol Casino, Graton, Kings/Westlane, Livermore Casino, The Limelight, Lucky Chances Casino, Casino M8trix, Merced Poker Room, Napa Valley Casino, The 19th Hole, The Oaks, Parkwest Lodi, Parkwest Manteca, Pete’s 881 Club, The Palace, Stars, Stones, Towers, and Turlock. I’ve visited nearly all of them.
I started my February 2024 poker journey with a visit to the two well-known San Jose poker rooms, Bay 101 and The M8trix. They are located a five minute walk away from each other. They are about 35 minutes south of San Francisco International Airport, where I arrived after a six-hour flight from Boston on a Saturday morning. (The airfare was what seduced me. It was only $175 roundtrip!)
Bay 101 is housed in a new building, built just before the pandemic on the grounds of the old Bay 101. It’s smaller than it used to be, and the space for poker is greatly reduced from its former size – as the room is dominated by games of chance like Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and 3-card Poker. They do offer tournaments, but I was disappointed by the reduction in the number of poker tables.
At the same time, I was impressed by the lively action on a Saturday evening and early Sunday morning. The list of 25+ players for the $2/3/5 NLHE was too long for me to get seated during the two hours I waited. Fortunately, there were still a few no limit games going at 4:00 AM when I returned. There were also two limit games, one of $4/8 with a kill, another $100/200. There’s also a great little snack bar, with reasonable prices for pastries and sandwiches, and even coffee for only $1.
I played for a few hours. The competition was loose and passive – though my sample size was small during this graveyard shift. I’ve been told that the best poker players in the area make their home here. So if you visit, be careful!
The M8trix was darker, and even more crowded, with a wait list even longer than Bay 101. I couldn’t get into a game, and was informed by a self-described professional there that the best way was to grease the brush with $20 or so, which I refused to do. As it was, I signed up and waited for 90 minutes. I didn’t even see my name emerge on the visible board during my stay. Alas. The games looked great!
In addition to the great poker, I found that the restaurants in the area were excellent. There were dozens of great options within a few miles of the poker rooms. I met a cousin and his family for a great, and reasonably priced seafood lunch at Pacific Catch. The on-site food options didn’t seem too bad either. Casino M8trix had a good snack bar with reasonable prices for sandwiches and sushi. And Bay 101 had one of the least expensive places for a nosh – including $1 coffee!
When I finished up my play at the San Jose rooms, I headed north. I had previously played at Lucky Chances, Artichoke Joe’s, California Grand, and The Palace (formerly Golden Palace), so I skipped them this trip. They are all good rooms, back in business since COVID, and operating with a good mix of games 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I headed this time up the east side of San Francisco Bay to Livermore, home to eponymous Livermore Casino.
This is a great little room, that works hard to attract people to its daily games that start at 9 AM. As an early player, I was treated to a nice free breakfast and $20 extra to my starting stack, provided I played for at least two hours – or went broke. I gladly complied with the minimum stay requirements, enjoying a lovely breakfast while I played.
I continued north and visited Casino Graton in Santa Rosa. It’s a modern casino with games 24/7. When I visited on a Monday night to Tuesday morning they had $1/3 and $3/5 no limit hold’em, $3/6 limit hold’em, and $6/12 limit Big O. Casino Graton is a clean, new looking space with high ceilings. They offer $1 per hour comps for players, good for food or at their hotel. I enjoyed my session of $3/5.
The table was full of older guys like me, playing predictably. With just a little bit of aggression, I dominated the game for the two hours I was there. There are lots of daily tournaments and they also host larger events periodically. It doesn’t have a ton of local personality – but it draws from a large area and is a reliable place to find a game at any hour.
I left Graton, met some friends for lunch, and then made my way southeast for an evening game at Pete’s 881 poker room. Pete’s offers my idea of an ideal place for poker. It’s located inside a somewhat seedy looking bar. Perfect! The way poker was meant to be. From the outside you’d hardly know there was poker in the building. Games don’t begin until 6PM. But once they open, the tables get busy quickly, and soon develop waiting lists.
If you want to play, make sure to call in advance and get your name on the list. They spread $2/5, and on Tuesdays there’s a $5/10 table. My game was plenty tough – with three solid players regularly pushing the action. Still, it was great to be in this room. The kitchen makes some great dishes too. Players raved about the fish tacos, the tortellini and, on Thursdays, the prime rib. I myself enjoyed a delicious burger.
I spent the night right near Pete’s, in a very nice and reasonably priced Sure Stay Best Western, and then left for poker ports of call over the next two days in the Napa Valley and Central Valley area. I’ll cover those in Part II of this two-part series on Northern California poker rooms.
Well, this is awkward.
I was hired by this website’s fine owner and my good friend Robbie Strazynski to report on Mixed Game Festival VII and write these daily recaps for the site. Great guy that he is, he has encouraged me to play as well, which I of course happily will!
So, yesterday was the $300 O.E. tournament, the first of two tournaments to be staged this week at Resorts World Las Vegas, and I, along with 26 others, hopped in with their eyes on the $2,695 first prize.
Welp, guess who won?
This man can do it all!
Our daily Mixed Game Festival recaps, instant coverage for @pokerorg AND he just won our $300 O/E tournament $2,695 🔥
Congratulations to the great and wonderful @MikePatrick98! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/ettkiEYkSv
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) February 27, 2024
At this point of the recap, I’d be telling the winner’s story and dropping in quotes from my interview.
So, do I interview myself?!
Nope…but only because the other fine company I’m simultaneously working for at the festival, Poker.org asked me to do just that when I made the final table! Yah, it’d be weird doing that twice.
Hell, it was weird the first time, see…
👀 This poker player disrespected FOUR-time @WSOP bracelet winner @KevinGerhart on the final table of the @PokerLifeMedia $300 O/E tournament!
The player? Zero-time bracelet winner @MikePatrick98 🥴 pic.twitter.com/GZVOPZHiUB
— Poker Org (@pokerorg) February 27, 2024
Now as you can see, I made the most of this opportunity to interview my favorite poker player (come on, we’re all our own favorite player, right?) but man, what an arrogant jerk, eh? I mean he hadn’t even made the money at that point!
In all seriousness, character aside, this has been one of the coolest and strangest days I’ve ever had either playing or working. First, just getting to do both, and then actually winning the tournament!
Having the support of my friends and colleagues along the way was awesome, especially because I was worried that I wasn’t doing enough work today whilst at the table. I mean I didn’t want to get Portnoy-ed for spending the day playing this thing!
Correction:
That probably exceeds his recaps/@pokerorg salary, so Mr. Patrick probably owes @PokerLifeMedia and PokerOrg money.
— Norman Chad (@NormanChad) February 27, 2024
Let’s keep this train to Weirdsville chugging along now, shall we?
When was the last time you saw the winner of a poker tournament interview the runner-up?
Yup, I had to do that!
Las Vegas teacher John Rozance made a great run, finishing second in the tournament for $1,665. He also earned a one-year Premium Membership to PokerCoaching.com (valued at over $1,700), for being the last player remaining in the tournament still wearing a Cardplayer Lifestyle patch (I was ineligible, and — come on — I wasn’t taking that, too!)
John Rozance and @MikePatrick98 heads up for the big prize money in @PokerLifeMedia‘ $300 O/E
$2,695 to the winner
$1,665 to the runner upJohn has already won a @PokerCoaching_ Premium 1-year membership.
Good luck, gentlemen 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rWgKmJcr9g
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) February 27, 2024
As much a test of focus and stamina as the 11-hour tournament was to complete, Rozance was on another level, telling me that his day of poker started well before the noon start time of the tournament.
“I was playing No-Limit Hold ‘em since 1 a.m., so straight through, almost 24 hours.”
Rozance is a regular on the Las Vegas poker scene and has been playing mixed games for about 10 years.
“I play here (Resorts World) mostly…anywhere there’s a tournament in town. O.E. is my favorite tournament.”
That was apparent, as he played well all day despite his lack of sleep.It was only because of a lucky runout in a huge Stud 8 against 3rd place finisher David Levi was I able to enter heads-up play with a 5:1 advantage on Rozance and win from there.
Rozance was still pleased with the outcome of his day, but he definitely knew what he wanted to do next.
“It was fabulous. I’m ready to go to bed.”
Mixed Games Festival VII hits its midway point today, on Tuesday, and will start at 11:30 a.m. with a trivia competition awarding some great prizes to not just the winner, but multiple competitors. Another day of exciting and fun $4/8 Dealer’s Choice cash games will start up right after trivia.
As for star power on the guest list? Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra is scheduled to come by to splash around in the low-stakes streets. He’ll join an impressive list of players who’ve already hopped into the MGF streets. Those include fellow Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson, Women in Poker Hall of Fame founder and member Lupe Soto, and WSOP bracelet winners Kevin Gerhart, Nathan Gamble, and Andrew Yeh.
As for me?
I promise to work more.
Editor’s note: After taking Mike’s winner’s photo, I surreptitiously snapped the picture below when I saw him open up his laptop a couple minutes later, to begin writing up this recap… I mean seriously; who wins a tournament then immediately goes back to the work grind?! Bravo, Mike. So impressed and proud of you, my friend! Oh, and thanks for offering me the chance to buy 10% of your action before you registered; woohoo! 🙂 — Robbie
*Our daily coverage of mixed Game Festival VII is brought to you, with much appreciation, courtesy of PokerStars.
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, the western-most country in Continental Europe, located on the Iberian Peninsula along with Spain. Lisbon is a historic city, dating back to Roman times, with great museums, fine art, terrific cuisine, clean beaches, decent weather year-round, beautiful music, and a great transportation system. It’s an ideal place for a vacation. Oh, and the poker in Lisbon is pretty great, too!
I visited Lisbon for five days in December. The weather was ideal for me. The temperature was between 50-70°F every day; pretty mild for the winter! Though the skies were typically cloudy, it only rained one day while I visited. It was perfect weather for walking, seeing the sights, listening to the music, eating, and playing poker of course!
This is not meant to be a thorough travelogue of Lisbon or Portugal. There are many other resources for that. Let’s just say that there are great pastries, including the iconic pastel de nata, great seafood, including bacalhau (codfish), and great music, especially Fado – that lamenting vocal and guitar music played in night clubs and restaurants all across the city. There are also great castles and palaces to visit, beaches to enjoy, and great walking and hiking, up and down the many steep hills of this city.
And, yes, there is poker, too!
The vast majority of visitors to Lisbon stay in a hotel within the city of Lisbon. But, since my visit centered around poker, and since there are no poker rooms in the city of Lisbon itself (The Casino Lisboa does not have poker), I opted for a different vacation plan. I stayed about 35 minutes west of the city in the beautiful town of Estoril.
There is only one place that regularly hosts poker cash games in the greater Lisbon area: that’s Casino Estoril, in the town of Estoril.
Estoril is a town within the municipality of Cascais. This area is known as the Portuguese Riviera. It is a seaside resort, lined to the south with beautiful clean beaches. It is the wealthiest section of Portugal, filled with luxury autos, high-end stores, and beautiful homes. It’s a 30-minute train ride from Lisbon – with regular service, every 10 minutes or so, starting at 5AM and ending at 1AM each day.
Rooms at the casino itself were beyond my budget. But I found a great room for only about $60 a night right across the parking lot from the casino, at the Hotel Alvorada. I could leave my room and be at the poker table in less than three minutes.
The hotel was perfect for my interests. They provided a clean room with an outdoor porch, daily housekeeping, and a comfortable bed. The hotel also provided an excellent, ample breakfast buffet for a modest cost.
View of Casino Estoril from my room at the Hotel Alvorada
The casino is the oldest in Portugal, dating to 1918. Ian Fleming, during World War II, allegedly got his inspiration for his James Bond novel Casino Royale at Casino Estoril. It’s been updated considerably since then with lots of remodeling, and no dress code anymore. So there’s no longer any resemblance to the casino which Fleming visited and wrote about. Still, it’s an impressive full-service casino.
The casino hours are 3pm to 3am, seven days a week – with the poker room open during the entire time. I visited on five occasions, and found games in full swing every time. There were always two tables running of $1/3 no limit hold’em, $600 maximum buy-in. I was told that on Friday night, a time I didn’t visit and never play, they get a $5/5 PLO game, that really rocks. I’ll leave that for braver souls to explore.
The players consisted of a good mix of regulars and tourists. During my sessions I’d say the ratio was roughly 60% regs to 40% tourists – making for a very good game. There was moderate pre-flop raising, typically to $10 or $15. 3-bets to $25 to $40 were unusual but not rare. I never encountered a 4-bet during my sessions.
Players did not seem especially aggressive after the flop. Flops were frequently checked. This was not a game where players typically played for stacks. There was little if any drinking of alcoholic beverages at the table from what I observed. It would never be described as a wild or crazy game.
Straddles are allowed, but only under-the-gun. Re-straddles are allowed as well, all the way around to the button if desired, but I only noticed one re-straddle during my play. There is waitress service. Non-alcoholic drinks are free. Unlike in the US, tips are not automatic.
The poker is raked at 5% up to $15, with no rake taken until or unless the pot reaches $20. There are no additional drops for the house – as there are no bad beat, high hand, or other promotions.
The games were all well dealt, with attentive but inobtrusive dealers, newish cards and chips, good felt, comfortable if relatively basic chairs, and good lighting. The floor was engaged and friendly, standing nearby to aid in settling any disputes, seating players, and in general keeping the game a well organized, fun affair.
The casino has a few restaurants. I did not sample the food, but was told the Asian restaurant, Estoril Mandarin, is excellent. They are known for their dim sum and Peking Duck. But don’t plan on an early dinner, as they don’t open until 7PM.
For me, the beauty of a poker vacation lies in the ease with which I can both tour and play. Anyone who has read some of my previous articles about poker in Iceland or poker in Alberta, Canada (for example) would know this. I developed a routine that I enjoyed during my time in Lisbon and Estoril.
I awoke early and walked five minutes or so down to the beach – often before sunrise. I then strolled on the walkway along the beach for about an hour, watching the sun rise over the ocean, returning to the hotel in time to shower and sit down to the large breakfast buffet served by the hotel. I took full advantage of it, eating leisurely their fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheese, cereal, juice, and expresso coffee beverages.
I then began my day of touring around – either driving or taking the train into Lisbon. (I bought a 72-hour Lisboa Card, that afforded me unlimited train, tram, and bus rides while also providing me with free or reduced cost admission to all of the museums and tourist sites).
When my touring for the day was over, I’d typically find a restaurant in Lisbon or Estoril for dinner, return to my hotel, and then amble over to the casino to play some poker. On a couple of occasions, I was so tired after dinner, that I went to bed, only to wake up at midnight or so – and head across the parking lot to the still-open poker room, where I’d play until closing.
My sample size of play was small and not necessarily indicative of anything. But I profited from my sessions, in spite of the stiff $15 maximum rake. I didn’t cover the full cost of my trip with my winnings; but I did put a nice dent in it.
This proved to be a relatively inexpensive European trip for me. The cost of meals was considerably less than it is in other western European and major American cities. A traveler with an eye toward value, as I have, could easily eat out for under $60 a day, as I did.
This being the off season for travel to Portugal, I was also able to find an extremely inexpensive flight from Boston to Lisbon – using Skyscanner and booking the round-trip flight, two weeks before my departure, for $425. All totaled, leaving for Lisbon Saturday evening and returning to Boston Thursday night, including meals out, rental car, hotel, local transportation, museums, concerts, and airfare, I spent less than $1,000 US. Not too bad for a great solo poker vacation. It was so delightful that I am already planning my return trip with my wife.
Wynn Las Vegas made headlines last year when they made their innovative Milestone Satellites part and parcel of the WPT World Championship. Milestone satellites have become a staple of tournament poker at Wynn in recent times, and they’ve been well received by the players at the end-of-year World Poker Tour events. The 2023 WPT World Championship series is underway, and players have numerous opportunities to take advantage of this exciting poker tournament format.
Robbie Strazynski spoke with Ryan Beauregard, Executive Director of Poker Operations for Wynn Las Vegas, all about the origin and implementation of this newer, upgraded take on the poker satellite concept. In particular, Beauregard spoke about the reasons behind Wynn making the switch over and how the new format in his view changes the landscape for satellite players.
So why would anyone want to tinker with a system that has been working for decades? Traditional poker satellites are big business, and some players make a killing off satellites. Speaking on the traditional satellite system, Beauregard said, “It was just kind of broken, as people figured out where their advantages came and how to outlast instead of outplay. Our goal was to take some ideas that they had been kicking around in Europe and maybe make them a little better.”
Those ideas eventually evolved into Milestone Satellites. As Beauregard explains, “We have to give players a goal. We have to give them a goalpost to get to so that they can win their seat.” Furthermore, he explained how traditional satellites were taking longer to play. “We had satellites that were lasting 7, 8, 9 hours. We want to be fair to the players, but that gets a little too long in player’s minds for a satellite.”
Ultimately, the new satellite concept has dual benefits. Beauregard states that they “help roll back the time a little bit, and gave everybody that goalpost. It gives them something to achieve and, more importantly, induces action and keeps them actively playing.”
Milestone Satellites are similar to traditional multi-table satellites where players compete for seats into larger poker tournaments. However, now players have two ways to win their seats into larger, marquee events. The first way is by reaching a “milestone” or set number of chips necessary to win a seat.
For example, in the $1,100 Milestone Satellite to the $10,400 WPT World Championship, a player must accumulate 230,000 chips to receive a seat. Once a player reaches that milestone, they must contact a floor supervisor who will verify the stack and award the seat.
Once a player wins their seat, their chips are removed from play, regardless of stack size. The remaining players continue to compete for remaining seats.
The other way to win a seat is the traditional way. If ten seats are available and only six players reach the milestone during play, the tournament concludes when four players remain. Those players will receive a seat.
When asked whether the Wynn had difficulty convincing the WPT to adopt their new Milestone Satellites, Beauregard explained, “We’d already made up our mind. We were never going back. WPT has given us the freedom to create the schedules and satellite schedules.”
WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage voiced his support, saying “I love the way Milestone satellites reward aggression and that players don’t need to play until the end of the satellite to win their seat.”
Perhaps most importantly, the players have embraced the changes to the satellite system. Beauregard explains, “Everything we hear feedback-wise has been very positive. A lot of players love it. To be sure, it definitely helps the better players, the more aggressive players. I think overall it will be good for poker in that it improves the satellite structure and helps people get out of their comfort zone and realize they have to continue to play poker. Poker has been evolving for so long, and this is just part of it.”
At least a dozen Milestone Satellites will be held throughout the WPT World Championship series, and the Wynn is slated to give away between 600-800 seats during that time. Beauregard concluded: “They’re not going away,” so if you prefer ‘old school’ satellites, you will need to upgrade your game if you plan to win a WPT seat at the Wynn.
The exciting conclusion of Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festival VI at Resorts World, Las Vegas saw Ari Engel winning $4,858 and the $5,000 World Poker Tour Voyage Prize Package after a heads-up chop with Jamie Wheeler in the $260 buy-in HEROS Tournament on Thursday. Ari beat a field which included tons of crushers like Jeff Madsen, Linda Johnson, “Miami” John Cernuto, Scott Abrams, and Bob Mather.
Congratulations to @AriEngelPoker for taking down our @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival VI Grand Finale $260 HEROS tournament at @PokerRoomRWLV.
Ari wins $4,858 and the $5K+ @WPT Voyage Prize Package after a heads-up chop. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/aPCAbhvvRX
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) December 1, 2023
Ari has been having a banner year and has over $8 million in live earnings according to Hendon Mob. He is also atop the leaderboard in WSOP Circuit Rings with 16. His top cash so far has come from 2016’s Aussie Millions for over $1.1 million. He was heads-up with “Miami” John Cernuto at March’s Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival IV.
The HEROS Mixed Game Festival VI grand finale started at noon, ending after 1am. The prize pool reached a rock solid $18,700, with 13 players cashing out of a field of 85, and the winner winning $4,858 along with the $5000 WPT Voyage Prize package.
The day was kicked off by special guest WPT commentator Tony Dunst announcing shuffle up and deal!
Tony Dunst from the WPT announces shuffle up and deal! @tonydunsttv @cardplayerlife pic.twitter.com/awPyfT2oGa
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 30, 2023
Poker mixed game enthusiasts ran the gamut from recreational players that have attended multiple Cardplayer Lifestyle Festivals, to newcomers that were experiencing either the tournament or cash games which ran simultaneously to the tournament later in the day.
Representatives of multiple media outlets came to play and support the tournament such as TJ Reid from Poker.Org, who came in sixth on his birthday, to the WPT’s own Eric Lusch who finished in 4th place, and Chad Holloway from PokerNews, who had a stacked table including Linda Johnson, “Miami” John Cernuto, Jeff Madsen, and Jeanne David.
Marsha Waggoner, Jan Fisher, Louise Francoeur, Debi Cheek, and Holly Gordon were also in attendance. Women comprised approximately 15% of the players, and every woman in attendance received copies of Amanda Botfeld’s A Girl’s Guide to Poker.
Sarah Howell nabbed the last Player of the Day title. “I’ve wanted to attend all week, but I finally made it out today!” she exclaimed. A Vegas local, she came to the festival for the first time earlier this year. The kindness and generosity of other players helping her navigate different mixed games (and how much fun she had), had her yearning to return for MGF VI.
Sarah loves the math and psychology of mixed games, the competition, and the interesting people you meet at the tables. She’s also an avid advocate of rescue dogs. She just recently experienced her first foster fail, and now has Kingsley and Spike as a part of her family.
The Mixed Game Festival’s mascot returned for the last day with its’ owner Ruth to finish out the festival and was joined by Jonathan Hamilton’s card protector “Rowlet”.
One of our mascots on Day 4…They’ve enjoyed multiple Mixed Game Festivals. pic.twitter.com/nxv6CWWL3F
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 29, 2023
Josef Strazynski, Robbie Strazynski’s father, beat out half the field, and Eli Elezra, five-time WSOP bracelet winner, again made his way through the festival on his way into his high-stakes game in an adjoining room.
Splash pots were also randomly handed out to players in the tournament. One included the book “Dramaha” by Jim Donahue and a PokerGO drawstring bag which was awarded to Tyler Willse.
Congratulations to our 8 final tablists in the @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival VI $260 HORSE pic.twitter.com/kzWN4B2OIg
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) December 1, 2023
Matt Savage, World Poker Tour Executive Tour Director, flew in from Florida and made his way directly to the Resorts World Poker Room to award Ari with the $5,000 WPT Voyage Prize Package, making an exciting end to the tournament and festival.
Resorts World, as always, did an amazing job of hosting the event and providing the perfect backdrop to the festival.
More and more, attendees of Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festivals are becoming like a family, one that invites new people to come and enjoy more options in which to play poker. It’s a village of mixed game enthusiasts, and your seat awaits you at the next Festival!
Our Daily coverage of Mixed Game Festival VI is brought to you, with much appreciation, courtesy of WPT Voyage.
The final month of 2023 is here, and PokerGO will be squarely focused on the newest season of No Gamble, No Future.
PokerGO takes a step back on content for December, but when the ball drops and 2024 is upon us, PokerGO will be kicking it up with livestreams of PGT Last Chance, PokerGO Cup, and the PGT Championship $1,000,000 Freeroll to accompany No Gamble, No Future episodes.
Season 4 of No Gamble, No Future is here with the opening lineup featuring Antonio Esfandiari, Andrew Sasson, Brandon Steven, Alex Dombroff, John Morgan, and Jennifer Tilly playing $100/$200 No-Limit Hold’em.
After three episodes with those players, a new lineup takes center stage as Hoodie Allen, Brettski, Justin Young, Mitchell Bank, BensBenz, Bijan Shapouri, and Jimmy D’Ambrosio play $25/$50 No-Limit Hold’em.
The month will end with the first of three episodes of a lineup that includes Nik Airball, Eli Elezra, Mark Ianelli, Jennifer Tilly, Eric Persson, and Phil Hellmuth playing $100/$200 No-Limit Hold’em.
Watch Season 3 episodes of No Gamble, No Future every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
PokerGO’s month of November was dominated by the season conclusions of High Stakes Poker and No Gamble, No Future.
The final lineup of Season 11 of High Stakes Poker would see the debut of Nik Airball who joined Jean-Robert Bellande, Jennifer Tilly, Rob Yong, Doug Polk, Matt Berkey, Lynne Ji, and Eric Persson in a $200/$400 No-Limit Hold’em cash game.
Season 3 of No Gamble, No Future concluded with a $100/$200 No-Limit Hold’em cash game that featured Eric Hicks, Kevin Martin, Matt Berkey, Matt Steinberg, Lynne Ji, Eli Elezra, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth. Two of poker’s biggest names clashed, with Negreanu and Hellmuth going to war numerous times, and the season couldn’t end without a typical Hellmuth blow-up!
The year began with the PokerGO Cup which was won by Cary Katz who cashed five times and pipped Anthony Hu by just six PGT points to be crowned the PokerGO Cup champion.
January also saw the launch of Season 10 of High Stakes Poker which was met with the sad news that Gabe Kaplan was retiring as the High Stakes Poker commentator. Kaplan served as one of the High Stakes Poker commentators for nine seasons but will switch his microphone off at the age of 77 and pass the torch to Nick Schulman who will sit alongside A.J. Benza.
No Gamble, No Future livestreamed “Cash of the Titans” that featured Eric Persson, Andrew Robl, Rob Yong, Matthew Gonzales, Markus Gonsalves, and Patrik Antonius. Each player could buy-in for up to $1,000,000 with the kicker being that each player put $100,000 on the side, with the biggest winner over three sessions winning the $600,000.
The final day of play would see blinds begin at $1,000/$2,000 and it would also feature the largest pot ever broadcast on a U.S. poker live stream when Antonius won $1,978,000 against Persson.
The 4th Annual Global Poker Awards awarded 27 trophies to the poker industry, while the 2023 U.S. Poker Open would be highlighted by Phil Hellmuth winning his first PGT title at the PokerGO Studio.
High Stakes Duel 4 would see Mike Matusow defeat Shaun Deeb on the Undercard, while Daniel Negreanu defeated Eric Persson, and then Doug Polk, to be crowned the champion.
The summer was dominated by the World Series of Poker, and PokerGO streamed 47 days of WSOP action beginning on June 1, 2023. The highlight of PokerGO’s streaming schedule was the WSOP Main Event, but PokerGO introduced the Horseshoe table that streamed early action and final tables on YouTube.
Following the World Series of Poker, PGT events dominated the streaming schedule with the Poker Masters and Super High Roller Bowl VIII, along with debut of the PokerGO Triangle Room with livestreams of the PGT PLO Series. Following the demand of players, the Super High Roller Bowl: $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha was launched, and Jared Bleznick topped the 38-entrant field to win $1,292,000 in prize money and the Super High Roller Bowl ring.
Connect with PokerGO on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Watch daily poker clips on the PokerGO YouTube channel. Join the conversation on the PokerGO Discord server.
Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festival VI at Resorts World Las Vegas had another fun day of $4/8 mixed cash games on Wednesday, also known as “Women’s Wednesday” due a special appearance by Amanda Botfeld. Amanda joined the festival to sign copies of her book “A Girl’s Guide to Poker”. Lupe Soto, a Women’s Poker Hall of Famer who created LIPS (Ladies International Poker Series) along with multiple other women’s initiatives, also made an appearance. Holly Jones, Terry Hatcher, Linda Johnson, Poker Hall of Famer and WSOP bracelet winner and Jan Fisher, Women in Poker Hall of Famer were in attendance as well, mixing it up in the cash game streets.
Lupe Soto comes to help kick off Day 4 of our mixed game festival! @pokerlupe pic.twitter.com/2rTVUC1FJM
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 29, 2023
Amanda Botfeld has had a banner year, including winning a seat into the WSOP Main Event, culminating in a long run that had her beating over 9,000 other players to finish in 340th place. Her father David joined her in the Main Event as well, giving onlookers a team to rail past the bubble. Amanda has been a professional writer for years, with publications in the LA Times and Wall Street Journal. She also works with WPT Global, managing multiple social media projects.
She was joined at the festival by her husband who has been a professional cash game player for over 10 years. Proceeds for her book at the festival (at a special discounted rate of $10) will be donated to the local poker charity Poker Gives. Poker Gives is a non-profit organization that distributes funds to assist military families, homeless veterans, and youth programs in Las Vegas.
Amanda Botfeld signed copies of her insightful poker book “A Girl’s Guide to Poker” on Women’s Wednesday on Day 4 of our Mixed Game Festival. @amandabotfeld @cardplayerlife @mauichri pic.twitter.com/xTS05YBrVU
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 29, 2023
The Mixed Game Festival has also gained a mascot of sorts, with a purple octopus showing up at multiple festivals in the past. The octopus has, for some, become a whimsical symbol of the event. In addition to the women above, a number of well-known faces from the media side of the poker industry could be seen competing in the cash games including Poker.Org’s TJ Reid, Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski, PokerGO’s Tim Duckworth, PokerNews’ Jon Sofen, and Poker Royalty’s Jesse Fullen.
Come join the fun at Resorts World on Day 4 of our Mixed Game Festival! @PokerRoomRWLV @tjreidpoker @cardplayerlife @jonpokerwriter @mauichri pic.twitter.com/4xnZrMljRw
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 29, 2023
One of our mascots on Day 4…They’ve enjoyed multiple Mixed Game Festivals. pic.twitter.com/nxv6CWWL3F
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 29, 2023
We’d be remiss if one player in particular didn’t get recognized at some point during Mixed Game Festival VI. Traveling over 7,500 miles to get here from Israel, the recently retired Dr. Strazynski decided to join his son Robbie on this trip to see and experience his first Mixed Game Festival.
With decades of home game poker experience under his belt, the elder Strazynski notably had the experience of a lifetime last year when he won a $10K package to play in the 2022 WPT World Championship. He’s now got his sights set on trying to claim the $5,000 WPT Voyage prize package that’ll be awarded to the winner of this festival’s grand finale HORSE tournament tomorrow.
Cash games continues across multiple $4/8 and $8/16 dealer’s choice cash game tables until the wee hours of the morning once again, with players trying to get in additional reps to help them prep for battle in Day 5’s marquee tournament.
Resorts World Las Vegas, as always, provides a luxurious and relaxing atmosphere for the festival and is run by Leon Wheeler, Director of Poker Operations, alongside his wonderful, professional, and friendly staff.
Resorts World always does a great job in hosting our Mixed Games Festivals. @PokerRoomRWLV @cardplayerlife pic.twitter.com/Ym8bAPnu1X
— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) November 29, 2023
As mentioned, the festival will culminate tomorrow, Thursday, November 30th at noon and will include cash games running simultaneously with a $260 H.O.R.S.E. tournament. Multiple splash pots and giveaways are bound to happen, so be sure to stop by.
Want to send a special shout out and give thanks to @phil_hellmuth and @Poker_Royalty for kindly passing along these great poker books, which we’ll be giving away (among plenty of other giveaways) during today’s @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival 🏇 tournament at @PokerRoomRWLV! pic.twitter.com/NKrfHTke15
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 30, 2023
Matt Savage and Tony Dunst from the World Poker Tour will be on hand in person at the tournament to announce the traditional Shuffle Up and Deal as well as to award the winner a $5,000 WPT Voyage prize package. It’s going to be an exciting conclusion to a festival whose raison d’etre is to promote and encourage the grown of mixed games as part of the overall poker landscape.
Our Daily coverage of Mixed Game Festival VI is brought to you, with much appreciation, courtesy of WPT Voyage.
Day 2 of Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival VI at Resorts World Las Vegas had a lot to follow after a first day of mixed game action that featured a pizza party and a Poker Hall of Famer appearance. But Day 2 proved to be just as exciting. Not only did the dozens of attendees have the choice of hopping into a low-stakes cash game or taking a shot in the $260 buy-in Omaha 8/Stud 8 tournament, but yet another Poker Hall of Famer made a surprise appearance to the delight of the mixed game early birds.
For every big poker name in attendance on Monday, there were several home game heroes who traveled from all over the country and even from other countries to take part in the mixed game festivities. That was the case for Roger and Rob, two friends from Ontario, Canada who ventured to Sin City just to battle in their first Mixed Game Festival.
From left to right : Roger, Mark, and Rob
The first $4/$8 Mixed Game Festival cash game started up around noon with players including Chuck Martin and our founder Robbie Strazynski in the mix. As the short-handed table grew, those early participants were pleasantly shocked to see none other than Poker Hall of Famer and five-time WSOP bracelet winner Eli Elezra pop in to play a few hands of “white chip poker” as he waited for his high-stakes table to open.
Surprise visitor to the @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival $4/8 cash game; welcome @elielezra1 😁❤️🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/iJhFxnC8Uz
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 27, 2023
“I used to play $2,000/$4,000 at Bellagio!” Elezra exclaimed as he sat down and put out an $8 under-the-gun straddle in the Double Board Omaha game.
The high-stakes legend, who has made Mixed Game Festival appearances before, ending up scooping the pot and posed for a few fan photos before going back to the nosebleeds. The game went back to normal as players sighed that they “haven’t had a nut Badugi since 1975” and mimicked Canadian accents to bring laughs from Rob and Roger.
Eli Elezra poses for a photo
After several giveaways that included a Faded Spade 2-deck setup and a copy of D&B Poker and independent author Jim Donahue’s SOHE (Simultaneous Omaha and Hold’em), a second $4/$8 table opened open as some of the early O/E tournament casualties made a transition to cash.
Everyone loves winning free playing cards
As the cash game action was playing out across the room, the $260 Omaha 8/Stud 8 tournament field was growing and eventually reached 49 players for a prize pool of $10,780. Women in Poker Hall of Famers Linda Johnson and Jan Fisher were among the early entrants in the field, as were Poker.Org’s TJ Reid and Robbie’s father, Dr. Josef Strazynski.
O/E tournament action
It took hours for the first player to bust but things picked up from there before the final table of eight formed with eight spots paid. Kathy Chang went out in 8th place for $392, but her spirits were high as she won a free 15-minute massage and a copy of Amanda Botfeld‘s A Girl’s Guide to Poker for being the last woman standing (women comprised 20% of the tournament field).
8th place @PokerLifeMedia OE. Won a free massage & last woman standing prize. Thank you everyone for a fun event. @cardplayerlife @PokerRoomRWLV @PokerCoaching_ @DandBPublishing pic.twitter.com/RHg3tGerTR
— Kathy Chang (@changrd) November 28, 2023
The tournament field dwindled further, and eventually Eric Rivkin was determined the winner via ICM chop to take home a little over $2,700. The New York native with more than $1 million in tournament earnings is clearly no rookie in the tournament streets and recently won a $160 No-Limit Hold’em Daily in the same Resorts World Poker Room for $1,405.
Congratulations to @erivski on winning the @PokerLifeMedia Mixed Game Festival VI $260 O/E. 🎉
Eric leaves @PokerRoomRWLV with an extra $2700+ in his pocket after an ICM chop. pic.twitter.com/fj1zKJaMvf
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 28, 2023
Most of Rivkin’s Hendon Mob cashes are of the NLH variety, but an emphasis on mixed game tournaments may be in order after his recent Omaha 8/Stud 8 victory.
While she didn’t arrive until later in the evening, you would be hard-pressed to name someone who brought more energy and high spirits to Day 2 of Mixed Game Festival VI than Danielle White.
A longtime poker dealer from Phoenix, White is a familiar face for anyone who has played a WSOP Mixed Game event or tuned into a final table stream on PokerGO. More recently, White dealt at the PokerStars NAPT and is sticking around Vegas for the upcoming WPT World Championship.
When she isn’t in the dealer’s chair, White can be found utilizing advantage play on the slot machines or traveling around the world. Earlier this year, White went on a solo trip across Europe that ended in Spain, where she was able to mingle with her friends in the poker world who were there for EPT Barcelona.
And when she isn’t doing those things, White enjoys mixing it up at the poker table. Whether ordering shots of tequila for the table or carefully explaining the nuances of obscure poker variants, White always found ways to make her table mates smile on Monday evening. That included yesterday’s Pokercoaching.com Player of the Day Bruce Briggs, who sparred with White in plenty of pots across a jumble of games that included Super Stud, Scrotum, Badeucey and Drawmaha.
That wraps up coverage of a second great day of the Mixed Game Festival VI at Resorts World Las Vegas. Day 3 is set to be just as exciting with a poker trivia competition starting at 11:30 a.m. before cash game action begins at noon. Still to come is a book signing by Amanda Botfeld on Day 4 and a $260 buy-in HORSE tournament with a $5,000 WPT Voyage Prize package added to the prize pool on Day 5.
Our daily coverage of Mixed Game Festival VI is brought to you, with much appreciation, courtesy of WPT Voyage.
Five years ago, I signed my first book deal to write A Girl’s Guide to Poker — back when I had less than $10,000 in poker tournament winnings on my Hendon Mob. Heck, I’m not even sure if I had $5,000. I was a rookie.
But not when it came to writing.
As I pitched to my (fantastic) publisher, D&B Poker, I was a writer first and a poker player second. By the age of 25, I’d already written articles for the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and Los Angeles Times. I had a full-time role as a newsletter writer. I was unafraid to use a semicolon; punctuation had its place.
To me, it was clear there was a gap in the market. There weren’t many poker books easily understood by beginners. And almost none of them had a sense of humor.
Photo credit: Medium
I wanted to write the newbie-friendly poker book that I truly needed. One that was easy-to-read and relatable. Thus, the idea for A Girl’s Guide to Poker was born. I viewed myself as an SNL skit writer — every paragraph had to have a punchline. (Curious? Take the opening lines of the back cover as an example, which reads as follows: So you want to play poker. Maybe it’s the challenge. Maybe it’s the cash. Maybe you’re turned-on by guys in hoodies and sunglasses.)
This is my journey on what it was like to write a poker book.
When I signed the book deal, there was only one rule: 45,000 words. My contract stated I needed to hit that target. Uh-oh, things were getting real. As a former newsletter writer, my writing style was short, punchy, and quick. Bullet points? Now you’re speaking my language. I wasn’t expecting to write something so apparently verbose.
It immediately became clear to me that word count would be my biggest challenge — and for good reason. Love it or hate it, people judge books — yes, even poker books — not only by their covers, but by their lengths. They don’t “respect” books that aren’t substantially meaty. Now when I work with clients who want to self-publish books, I am grateful that I had a publisher pushing me towards that word count. After all, my book was printed in pink — I had enough issues with being taken seriously already.
In order to abide by my contract, I made a spreadsheet (yuck). In it, there were three columns: chapter subject, estimated word count, and final word count. By creating these estimates at the earliest stages, I created an outline which organized my topics but also assured that I’d meet my word count goals. The last thing I wanted to do was pour my heart out writing the Great American Novel only to find I’d landed at 20,000 words.
Next, I went to the bookstore and purchased every poker book I could find. There was one of particular interest: Texas Hold ‘Em for Dummies. Not just because it was intended for a beginner audience (although, in my opinion, it’s quite stiff!). What struck me most was the section labeled “About this Book.” Here the author said something quite fascinating. This book was not necessarily meant to be read in order. I loved that! Basically, it was not a novel meant to be read front-to-back, from Point A to Point B. The idea was that you could open it to any page — any relevant chapter — and hop right in.
This was perfect inspiration for the type of book I wanted to write. It also inspired me to stick to my guns and keep my short-form writing style — instead of writing the lengthy chapters typical of a novel, I could write “mini-chapters” the size of an article. Short reads that would take about six minutes. Poker is not a game you learn overnight; you need to be able to flip back to certain ideas you have already learned for reference. This strategy would make it easy.
Now that the bones of the book were taken care of, all that was left was the actual writing. When I had previously worked as a salaried writer, my specialty was politics and foreign policy. The only thing more complex than finding peace in the Middle East? Texas Hold ‘Em poker, of course.
I knew that if this book were to succeed, it needed to take out the jargon. As my fellow poker book author (and Cardplayer Lifestyle contributor) Chris Wallace explains, “I think the biggest challenge for most poker writers is explaining a complicated subject in an uncomplicated way.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
“It’s not unlike writing a technical manual for a piece of equipment,” Chris continues. He notes that whereas there definitely are writers-turned-aspiring-poker-players as I was at the time, there is also the conundrum of the “high level poker player who wants to write down what they know, which means they have trouble expressing it because they are usually better at playing than teaching. Their books tend to be either very dry, or overly complex.” Amen.
So how do you write a poker book in a way that isn’t… well… boring?
Firstly, you must vary your commas. No one wants to read strings of long, rambling, never-ending information dumps disguised as helpful sentences. They’re not helpful if your reader finds themselves zoning out.
Secondly, you need to write with personality. Raise your voice! Just as with speaking, how you say something is just as important as what you say. Your writing needs to carry your unique style and tone—if someone else could’ve written those same sentences you just did, you’re doing it wrong. Every word needs to be undeniably YOU.
I have favorite journalists I look up to simply because of their ways with words. Even though I disagree with much of her politics, I’ll never forget when the Washington Post writer Jennifer Rubin started an article with the word “Bizarrely.” Art! I also love The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson for the ebb and flow of his writing. His economic theories are almost always beyond me—I have no way of verifying if any of his financial takes are true — but his literary game is so strong I’ll even read an article about the real estate market if he wrote it. Why? Because it is… So. Uniquely. Him.
If you want to improve your own writing, start by reading. Find what you like (and don’t like). Take notes on how you would write that poker book better.
Lastly, the key to writing a book is routine. When I work with my book-writing clients, I don’t have a magic pill to make words appear on the page—but I do provide structure. A weekly spot on the calendar is enough. Even though I pride myself on being a “creative-writer-type” resistant to hard structures and rules, I recognized I had to implement some sort of schedule. I signed-up for a daily fitness class next to a coffee shop; and, after my workout, went to write some prose. I don’t know if I would’ve had the discipline to just sit down and write as its own commitment. But by binding it to my workout regime (which I had already paid for), it became natural to park my laptop next door post-workout.
The end result was the completion of A Girl’s Guide to Poker, clocking-in at 47,413 words. I also finished the book by the deadline. My publisher told me I was amongst only 10-15% of authors to do so. If I can do it, so can you!
P.S. I will be signing my book at Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festival VI at Resorts World Las Vegas on November 29th! Hope to see you there!
I’ve taken to grabbing onto small moments of joy in this world; they call them “glimmers”. Rather than the opposite, “triggers”, things that set me off in negative ways, glimmers are small moments of happiness, wonder, and sacred awe. Recently I went to see a panel hosted by PokerStars during the NAPT (North American Poker Tour) discussing women in poker. It gave me a glimmer and an afternoon filled with hope, optimism, and purpose.
I walked into the large event area on the second floor of Resorts World where the NAPT was being held after a long 12 years’ hiatus. It was like entering a realm of poker Narnia, with room after room filled with tables and barely repressed excitement. I didn’t know if I’d know many people at the event. I had watched the previous panel that PokerStars had held in London, and was thrilled to be able to see the panelists in person.
I was instantly greeted by someone at the event before I even made it to that level of Narnia. She was warm, friendly, and ushered me in the right direction. As people who’ve read my writings in the past probably know, I would get lost in a closet. I have gotten lost two blocks away from my home. In another life I might be Magellan, but this one ain’t it.
I was enveloped by the rest of the people that had already arrived at the event, and was offered coffee, croissants, freshly cut fruit, and more. I finally met Rebecca McAdams Willets, Director of Partnerships, PR and Consumer Engagement from PokerStars, in person. She was the host of the panel, asking incisive and smart questions. I met Jennifer Shahade, chess champion, and Alex O’Brien, science writer and poker player, and saw Erin Lydon the President of Poker Power who I first met at a Ladies’ Meet Up Game last year and formally met Maria Konnikova, the New York Times bestselling author who I’ve seen in person, but was geeking out way too much previously to make actual conversation.
Jennifer, Alex and Maria are all authors, which adds another element of awe for me. Jennifer’s new book is Chess Queens, and Alex just released The Truth Detective. Maria’s book The Biggest Bluff came out in 2020 and I bought it as soon as it was released. PokerStars gave every attendee a copy of the books, and the authors were right there to sign them. I wasn’t expecting this and I was thrilled.
Erin has been front and center at numerous speeches recently, traveling the country talking about Poker Power’s mission four years in. Her passion and determination inspire me every time I see her.
I ended up sitting in the front row with Linda Johnson, the venerated Poker Hall of Famer and WSOP bracelet winner. Linda started the poker charity Poker Gives with other poker industry legends including Mike Sexton and Jan Fisher. Jan was also in the front row with Lupe Soto, a Women in Poker Hall of Famer who created LIPS (Ladies International Poker Series) amongst many other industry initiatives.
The panel was moving and thought-provoking, with Maria explaining how poker can give us skills that can potentially help us in the rest of our life. To paraphrase her, the ability to deal with bad beats, to look at moments when we lose but we know we got it in with the best hands are invaluable. Finally knowing when we run hot, to lean into it and realize how fortunate we are, to play our rush and capitalize on it.
Most of the authors added that the psychology of poker, risk taking, the ability to bluff and to call a bluff are all important skills outside of poker. Erin concurred, as that’s one of Poker Power’s biggest missions. They want to find a bridge for the “knowledge gap, the confidence gap and the bankroll gap” that women face in poker.
Attendees were encouraged to bring women who had never played poker before. After the panel, beginners and intermediate tutorial sessions were held at nearby poker tables.
When I first started watching poker on ESPN, it felt like a vast world that I could never be a part of. When I got my first job in poker at the WSOP, I was giddy and excited and the whole event was thrilling. I was even happy when I learned I had to interview Johnny Chan in front of way too many observers.
I would find out after that first year that the women of poker are generally warm, kind, inclusive, and informative. PokerStars getting behind this panel, inviting brilliant minds to speak, makes me feel hopeful. The panel is a glimmer that I get to take home with me along with my books, and just as precious.
Image credits: PokerStars Live!
How much thought do you give to the other players on your table? Do you ever switch tables to play with weaker players? Or do you just stick to the first table you’re assigned come hell or high water?
In my prior article How to Make Poker Easier and More Fun, I discussed poker’s three Advantages: 1) Positional Advantage, 2) Range Advantage and 3) the Skill Advantage.
Today’s article ties directly to #3, the Skill Advantage.
A Skill Advantage is critical to have over your opponents because as the better player, you have the opportunity to profit from all of their mistakes. Not only that, but you can quickly grasp every player’s tendencies and know how to exploit them. Plus, these weaker players don’t think as deeply as you do, so they’re less likely to exploit you and more likely to just play their hole cards and the board.
So, do you often change tables to give yourself a skill advantage over your opponents and a better chance to have a winning session?
If the poker gods or the floor person (tip them well!), gave you the option, which table would you choose to play at?
Yep, you and I probably have the same answer: #2! I find it very helpful to look at extremes to get a grasp of good strategy. And seeing as how #2 is clearly the more fun and profitable choice, the closer our chosen table dynamic can get to #2, the better.
The great thing about cash poker is that you do not have to take the first table they give you. Table Selection is an important skill, and I’m going to help you learn how to employ it.
The first thing you’re looking for when selecting a table is a greater proportion of fish than any other player type.
I’m sure there is a brick and mortar cardroom that you play often enough that you know who the fishy players are. You probably know that Bob, Susan, and Rick are super weak, so when possible you sit at their table. But, Jimmy, Grant, and Justin are regular crushers, so stay away from them.
It’s pretty obvious when you’re a regular and know the players, but how about when you’re the new player in the club? You’re looking for signs of fishy weakness, such as:
However, if you play online it’s hard to remember that players “buttcheeks92” and “foreverlovesdogs” are fish. We don’t even have a face to help us remember them. Online players need to rely on the same list above (fishy weaknesses), and we should also be “tagging” the fish when we identify them.
I tag the fish in two ways:
I make sure to label TAGs, LAGs, Fish and Gamblers with different colors and symbols as well. This way, from hand one, I see right away how many of each player type is on the table.
In a full ring game, I’m always looking for at least four fish on the table. In a 6max game, I hope to see at least two fish. The more the merrier of course, but if there aren’t a minimum number of fish, I’ll get up and find a new table.
There’s nothing that says you can only play at one cardroom. In my hometown, I have three nearby to choose from and a few others within driving distance. If there are three or more tables going, and I’m NOT sitting at the fishiest table, I’ll put my name down for a table change.
Online, I spread my action between ACR Poker, Ignition Poker, and Carbon Poker. If I can’t find fishy tables on one site, I’ll just play on a different one. I have my bankroll spread across all three sites to give me options.
You’re a shark at the table trying to gobble up as many fish as you can. You want to avoid tables that are full of other sharks. Sharks are strong, aggressive, winning players who know what they’re doing. You’ll get a sense of who the sharks are by their smart, logical actions and seeing how their stacks are always growing (just like your stack) as the fish’s stacks are depleting.
The more sharks you sit with, the more difficult your session will be and the less profit potential your table holds.
To avoid winning players, you’ll have to leave and find new tables occasionally. It will also help if you mix your play between different sites or local cardrooms as mentioned above.
Your seat relative to the other players at the table is also important. Many online sites don’t allow you to choose your seat. However, some online sites and brick and mortar cardrooms do. If you are allowed to choose your seat, you should do so and keep these three points in mind:
Start selecting tables for profit. Here’s a great question I ask myself every 15 minutes after I’ve chosen a fishy table:
“Is this table still profitable?”
You would be surprised how quickly a profitable table can turn “bad”. You are playing with fish after all, and everyone else wants to play on your table. After a couple of fish bust and leave, strong players may take their places. Before you know it, a table that started with five fish now only has one. If this happens to you, get out of there!
*Ed. note: Please be advised that the online poker sites mentioned in this article are only offshore regulated, nonetheless allowing US-based players. Caveat emptor.